Cattle Market Pulse

Roanoke Stockyards Market Report

Roanoke, Alabama · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 20, 2024

748 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Roanoke Stockyards report →

light 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $288.51/cwt +4.44 vs last sale · ≈ $1,238/hd at 429 lb · 18 head
light 4-weight M&L 2 bulls $321.24/cwt -4.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,410/hd at 439 lb · 17 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $279.12/cwt +0.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,451/hd at 520 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 748 911 1,083
Feeder cattle 580 718 826
Slaughter cattle 97 130 185
Replacement cattle 71 63 72

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago: Feeder steers and bulls sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher, feeder heifers sold 6.00 to 8.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 6.00 higher, slaughter bulls sold steady. Replacement cows and pairs sold mostly steady.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,348 -11.79
415–430 423 2 345.00–350.00 $347.46 $1,470 +1.46
460–480 466 8 330.00–340.00 $334.96 $1,561 +7.44
520 520 3 310.00 $310.00 $1,612 +11.01
555–590 575 5 290.00–300.00 $296.09 $1,703 +2.79
670 670 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,809 -9.75
735–745 739 7 240.00–244.00 $241.73 $1,786 -0.26
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–395 383 3 340.00–342.00 $340.63 $1,305 -7.37
410–435 427 5 335.00–340.00 $338.60 $1,446 +13.60
460–490 475 2 325.00–328.00 $326.55 $1,551 +13.61
525–545 532 3 290.00–300.00 $296.58 $1,578 +5.58
565 565 3 280.00 $280.00 $1,582 -2.46
680 680 3 260.00 $260.00 $1,768 +2.00
795 795 2 218.00 $218.00 $1,733 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 3 355.00 $355.00 $1,633 —
515–545 526 9 318.00–325.00 $323.00 $1,699 +10.54
565–575 570 2 310.00–315.00 $312.48 $1,781 +9.87

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–290 280 3 315.00–320.00 $318.27 $891 +3.27
345 345 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,070 +7.20
365–395 378 13 295.00–305.00 $300.88 $1,137 +8.16
410–435 429 18 285.00–294.00 $288.51 $1,238 +4.44
460–495 472 16 276.00–282.00 $279.35 $1,319 +6.75
510–525 514 9 265.00–271.00 $268.66 $1,381 +1.29
570–590 580 4 250.00–258.00 $253.31 $1,469 +1.80
640–645 644 9 242.00–243.00 $242.89 $1,564 -3.07
665–670 668 2 230.00–237.00 $233.51 $1,560 +3.51
705–745 733 6 212.00–217.00 $214.48 $1,572 -0.06
790–795 793 3 201.00–204.00 $202.00 $1,602 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 2 330.00 $330.00 $891 +2.00
315–325 318 6 315.00–320.00 $318.30 $1,012 +8.70
365–390 378 4 310.00–317.00 $313.38 $1,185 +7.61
405 405 6 295.00–300.00 $297.50 $1,205 +6.19
470–490 478 13 284.00–290.00 $286.15 $1,368 +3.49
505–545 520 17 275.00–282.00 $279.12 $1,451 +0.37
570–585 577 6 260.00–268.00 $264.49 $1,526 +4.49
625–645 635 6 246.00–252.00 $248.98 $1,581 —
660 660 1 248.00 $248.00 $1,637 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 4 300.00 $300.00 $885 -2.00
360–370 365 2 285.00–293.00 $288.95 $1,055 +6.41
430–440 436 7 278.00–282.00 $279.43 $1,218 +2.75
485–495 492 11 266.00–270.00 $268.93 $1,323 +3.94
530–545 535 5 258.00–262.00 $260.00 $1,391 +8.98
615–630 619 4 230.00–234.00 $232.98 $1,442 +0.98
725–735 730 3 204.00–208.00 $206.33 $1,506 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 2 380.00 $380.00 $1,064 —
305–325 315 2 360.00–370.00 $365.16 $1,150 +15.20
375–380 376 6 350.00–355.00 $350.84 $1,319 +9.06
435–440 439 17 318.00–325.00 $321.24 $1,410 -4.25
455–495 471 7 310.00–318.00 $314.88 $1,483 +11.59
505–535 517 9 290.00–300.00 $295.77 $1,529 +10.77
555–585 566 5 286.00–294.00 $289.99 $1,641 +8.49
625 625 2 270.00–274.00 $272.00 $1,700 +13.00
675 675 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,620 -2.00
785–795 790 2 212.00–220.00 $216.03 $1,707 -4.97
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–445 435 6 330.00–340.00 $337.48 $1,468 +7.52
465–485 471 9 320.00–330.00 $322.27 $1,518 +5.48
510–535 519 4 302.00–310.00 $306.74 $1,592 +11.77
565–575 571 4 295.00–305.00 $300.28 $1,715 +10.30
615–625 620 2 276.00–282.00 $278.98 $1,730 +8.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,044 —
330 330 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,155 +8.76
380 380 2 335.00 $335.00 $1,273 +4.78
410–435 418 3 310.00–315.00 $313.27 $1,309 -3.22
465–480 469 4 300.00–301.00 $300.26 $1,408 +6.49
535–540 537 5 280.00–288.00 $283.22 $1,521 +4.22
575 575 3 274.00–280.00 $278.00 $1,598 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–1455 1074 80-85% 13 124.00–130.00 $127.87 $1,373 +7.58
1105–1290 1216 80-85% 4 138.00–143.00 $140.27 $1,706 +7.09
1120–1590 1264 80-85% 16 130.00–137.00 $133.40 $1,686 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–1160 969 85-90% 4 115.00–121.00 $117.24 $1,136 +5.85
725–1165 999 85-90% 11 105.00–110.00 $107.27 $1,072 -4.12
890–1110 1004 85-90% 5 99.00–104.00 $102.08 $1,025 -3.97
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1310 1278 75-80% 2 138.00–140.00 $139.03 $1,777 —
1265–1650 1445 75-80% 6 122.00–125.00 $123.37 $1,783 -9.80
1480–1515 1499 75-80% 6 127.00–132.00 $129.83 $1,946 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1755 1631 4 139.00–142.00 $140.71 $2,295 —
1715 1715 1 130.00 $130.00 $2,230 —
1985 1985 1 147.00 $147.00 $2,918 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,450.00–1,650.00 $1,583.33
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,300.00–1,475.00 $1,387.50
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,000.00–1,100.00 $1,033.33
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 20 2,100.00–2,350.00 $2,255.00 —
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 2,450.00–2,500.00 $2,475.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 10 1,200.00–1,550.00 $1,350.00 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.